Guess what, Todd Gurley? You’re once again facing one of the best run defenses in the NFL, as the Jets have allowed 3.5 yards per rush, the fourth-lowest average in the league this season. The Rams have promised to give the ball more to Gurley, who has totaled only 41 carries in his last three games, but is that the smartest thing to do in this game? Yes, Rams quarterback Case Keenum has struggled of late, and another bad game might lead to the start of the Jared Goff era, but there’s seemingly little to fear in the Jets’ secondary. Longtime star cornerback Darrelle Revis is there, but he has yet to record an interception this season, and the Jets have only four as a team. Things are much scarier up front for the Jets. They were criticized for taking USC lineman Leonard Williams with the sixth pick in the 2015 draft, but Williams has a team-high six sacks this season. The Jets’ front is going to be a challenge for a Rams offensive line that needs to show major improvement both in run and pass blocking. Edge: JETS

JETS OFFENSE vs. RAMS DEFENSE

The Jets have a question at quarterback, and really, there is no good answer. Even if Ryan Fitzpatrick is healthy enough to make it through the entire game -- he’s been dealing with a knee injury – Fitzpatrick has failed to reach 200 passing yards in three of his past four games and has totaled eight touchdowns and 13 interceptions this season. The Jets have a big receiver in Brandon Marshall, who could cause some problems for the Rams’ smaller cornerbacks, but Marshall has totaled only 15 receptions in his last four games. The Jets’ biggest threat figures to be veteran running back Matt Forte, who has carried the offense recently, with 67 rushes and 274 yards in his last three games. Still, this matchup lines up quite nicely for the Rams. Fitzpatrick seems to be hobbled and won’t be a threat to leave the pocket, so the Rams should be able to get pressure on him and force him into mistakes, and the Rams consistently have been strong on run defense. This could be the week for a couple Rams forced turnovers. Edge: RAMS

SPECIAL TEAMS

Rams coach Jeff Fisher was reluctant to call last week’s loss to Carolina a “blip” for his special-teams unit, but in a three-point loss, kicker Greg Zuerlein missed two 55-yard field goals – he had been perfect this season – punter Johnny Hekker had his first touchback and the Rams had two penalties on returns. None of these things is egregious, though, and the Rams figure to return to their usual solid form this week. There’s nothing particularly bad about the Jets on special teams, but there’s nothing outstanding either. Veteran kicker Nick Folk has been solid, with 16 field goals on 18 attempts, but hasn’t hit from longer than 48 yards. Punter Lachlan Edwards has dropped 13 of his 40 attempts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. If there’s one scary area with the Jets, it’s kickoff returns, as receiver Jalin Marshall has averaged 24.3 yards per return, with a long of 65 yards. The Jets have been average on punt returns. Edge: RAMS

COACHING

If the tension of losing four consecutive games, and not having a signed contract in his pocket for beyond this season, is wearing on Fisher, he’s not showing it publicly. Throughout the skid, Fisher has retained his low-key, steady-as-she-goes approach, and it will be interesting to see how players respond. Will they have a sense of urgency, or will they go quietly into the dying night of another below-.500, non-playoff season? It’s been an interesting run for the Jets’ Todd Bowles, a first-time NFL coach when he took over the Jets before the 2015 season. The Jets were something of a mess by the end of Rex Ryan’s tenure, but Bowles led them to a 10-6 record last season, and nearly a playoff spot. The Jets got off to a disappointing 1-5 start to this season but have won two of their last three. This is the start of three consecutive home games for the Jets, who still have to play New England twice. Edge: RAMS

INTANGIBLES

This could get messy. The Jets’ offense has league-highs with 14 interceptions and 19 total turnovers, and the team’s minus-10 turnover ratio is the second-worst in the league. The Rams, unwittingly, are catching up (or down, to be accurate), as they are piling up interceptions and have a turnover ratio of minus-4. Fisher talks, on a weekly basis, about how he disagrees with some of the penalties called on the Rams, but they’re still happening. The Rams are being called for the third-most penalties per game this season, but they’ve actually been slightly more disciplined on the road. The Rams face another travel challenge as they fly east for an early start, but the Jets are 1-2 at home. Edge: JETS

MATCHUP TO WATCH

Rams DT Aaron Donald vs. Jets C Wesley Johnson: The Jets are something of a mess up front. Starting center Nick Mangold likely is out with an ankle injury, left tackle Ryan Clady is on injured reserve and right tackle Breno Giacomini was limited in practice this week with a shoulder injury. The injuries at tackle are a particular problem for the Jets, because they’ll have to make a choice. Fitzpatrick also is hobbled, so the Rams likely will attempt to bring pressure with defensive ends Robert Quinn and William Hayes. That also could free things up inside for Donald, whose brilliant play has been masked a bit of late by the Rams’ offensive struggles. Donald might feast against Johnson and the Jets’ interior offensive linemen.

PREDICTION

This is it. If the Rams lose, they won’t officially be eliminated from playoff contention, but they will be 3-6 with another loss in a winnable game. It’s difficult to express too much confidence, but it feels as though this game sets up nicely for the Rams. Unless Forte breaks free, there’s little that is scary about the Jets offense, and their defense consistently gives up around 21-28 points per game, even to poor teams. Keenum is a battler, and for whatever reason, he seems to play better on the road. This one won’t be easy for the Rams, because they never are, but look for them to force a couple turnovers and actually have the defense, not the offense, on the field late in the fourth quarter, in an attempt to seal the victory. RAMS 24, JETS 17

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